I live in a state where both parties need to agree to a voice recording. For years I have used a condenser microphone and fairly expensive DVR to record my notes while out on shops. I just tried a new cheapie--Evida, found on Amazon. It goes on sale from time to time at $13 and change, has no visible microphone, looks like a thumb drive and is only a plug in USB stick. Sound quality is remarkable. Claims 36 hours before needing to recharge. I use Sound Organizer (freebie downloadable software) to download my notes and they are crystal clear, even when the recorder was several feet away from me. Nothing sophisticated--no pause, no playback on the device itself, simply an 'on/off' button. The Sound Organizer software allows jumping around on the sound file saved to it. Worth considering if you are looking for a DVR or want a backup.